Roofing



March E. R. DEARBORN 2 .758

' ROOFING Filed Sept. 9, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenior: Ernesiffifiearborn,

E. R. DEARBORN 5.758

ROOFING Filed Sept. 9, 1939 5 Sheets-$heet 2 IhveW/Zm" EriwsiR.lk a?'bo rm,

March 18, 1941. R DEARBORN 2,235,758

' ROOFING Filed Sept. 9, 1939 5 Sheetg-Shaet 5 I nvenior: 1172 21106 319/1260? 270 m1, Z1361. gag-77,; M M

March 18, 1941. E. R. DEARBORN ROOFING Filed Sept. 9, 1939 5 Shqqts-Sheet 4 I uli!.inlullilnlnnlinihi.

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March 18, 1941. E R DEARBQRN 2,235,758

aoomue Filed Sept. 9, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet s l l I I l Invewi/ or: Ernesi/Rlkazzwrn,

Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward H. Angler, Framingham, Mass trustee Application September 9, 1939, Serial No. 294,148

This invention relates to an exterior sheathing for the wells of buildings, in particular for n root to which I hereinafter for convenience shnll specifically refer, wing thot word in an r exemplary sense, rind the object is to provide a novel covering or sheathing materiel which provides o covering having the ndvantuges of a sheet metal roof but at much decreased cost both ior material and for labor charges oi inill stnllution.

li/iy invention will be well understood by relcrence to the following description taken in connection with the occompunying drnwings, wherein:

iii inn. 1 is n perspective view showing my improved materiel in roll form as it may be supblicd to the job for application;

Fig. d is n transverse section through the some, the thickness of the vurious elements beiiil ing much exaggerated for purposes oi cleorness;

Figs. 3, t, s end 6 are irugrnentory sections illustrnting successive steps of the method oi opplying the mntcrial to u typicnl roof;

big. it is e. slmilnr view illustrating the methiiii od oi muinng n Joint transverse to the line of the root ridge between the ends oi the strips;

Figs. d, it and id ore sections through the covering nt the locetion of such it ioint illustroting successive steps in the making of the ioint;

till i ig. ii is u perspective view at the end oi the root illustrating n method of finishing the coverlng nlong the end portion;

big. it is c section on the line lit-ii of Fig. ii; und

35? big. it is o section oi a batten used in the construction.

in liigs. 3 to 'i, inclusive, and in Fig, 11, for simplicity and to ovoid the exaggeration in thickness which would otherwise be necessary,

i have shown the covering as a. single line instead of by cross-hatched sections of exaggerah ed thickness.

Many years ago it was proposed to provide roofing elements in the nature of shingles cmbodying n base oi rooilng felt or like material about which was folded flexible sheet lead. More recently material comprising a flexible base of heavy, craped, asphalt-impregnated paper of the lrrnft type to which is adhesively secured by m moons of asphalt a very thin copper sheet (typically one weighing about three ounces per square i'oot) has been extensively used as a superior substitute for sheathing paper.

lily invention provides a material somewhat it similor to that last described adapted to beapplied rapidly over roofing boards or the like to provide a resistant exterior covering and which may combine in a single structure applied in a single operation the advantages of sheathing paper as ordinarily used under a metal roof and 5 of a metal outer surface free of perforations and connected together as a unitary structure, while permitting the utilization of metal of much lighter weight than the sheets customarily used for metul roofs.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I there show u web W oi flexible backing material in the nnture of known building papers or felts, preiernblv oi u waterproof character. Applied lengthwise to this web is n strip of thin copper Cu oi less width than the web. This copper may be c iew thousdndths oi an inch in thickness and may conveniently be characterized as foillilre to distinguish from ordinary sheet copper ndnpted to be handled and used without reiniorcenient. e copper Cu is secured udhesively to the booking web W by n bituminous material throughout the greoter portion of its width, but relatively narrow ninrglnol portions it and it are left unnttached. in Fig. 2 this is illustrated grophicnlly by showing them as turned up at an cngie to the hocking web W, but it will be understood that us mnnuincturcd and shipped they will lie flat ngalrist the outer face of the backing web. Since the copper is narrower than the booking material, the letter projects at either side thereof, us indicated ot it and iii. The nssembly, while tough and resistant to abrasion, is highly flexible and it may be put up and shipped in rolls, as indicated in Fig. l, and dispensed therefrom in convenient lengths for use on the job.

Without limitation thereto, I may give by way of crumble specific figures relating to one suitable construction which i have successfully used. This construction embodied a backing web eighteen inches wide weighing after impregnation nbout three hundred pounds per ream of five hundred square feet. A strip of copper weighing about three ounces per square foot and twelve inches in width was secured thereto with unnttnched margins it and M about one and one-hull inches in width, leaving the backing W projecting at either side of the copper beyond the unattached margins thereof for about one and one-half inches at it on one side and for about tour and one-half inches at It on the other.

As an example of the utility oi the material in building construction I will explain a preferred method of constructing a roof therewith, re-

which the folding operation is shown as being ferring first to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. For convenience in the description I shall refer to that side of the material to which the copper is secured. the upper side viewing Fig. 2, as the obverse side and the other opposite side as the reverse side.

The material may be applied directly to the roofing boards 20 which I have herein shown as laid to project beyond the vertical wall 22 of the building to provide eaves. The material is laid in strips parallel to the length of the ridge, the successive strips overlapping one another in the finished roof in the manner of clapboards. As seen in Fig. 3, the first or starter strip A may be laid reverse side up along the eaves at the edge of the roof with the copper portion overlapping and in contact therewith and nailed thereto through the projecting margin I8 of the backing by nails l9. A row of ordinary wooden shingles 28 may then be nailed to the roofing boards above the line of attachment of the margin l8 with their butts overlying the edge of the strip A thus secured and preferably extending somewhat beyond the roof boards. The strip A is then folded upwardly about the butts of these shingles and over the upper faces of the same and nailed with nails I! to the roof boards beyond the tips of the shingles and through the margin i6 of the backing beyond the applied copper, thus covering the butt end and the lower portion of the shingles with an exposed copper surface, as will be apparent from Fig. 4.

The upper unattached margin i2 of the copper sheet of strip A is then folded over upwardly and downwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 4, in

initiated at the right-hand side of the figure, in preparation for the application of the second strip in the manner more fully illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The second strip B is laid along the roof reverse side up and the unattached margin M of the copper covering is entered beneath the foldedover edge I2 of the strip A. Otherwise described, the portion 12 of the strip A enters between the unattached margin id of the strip B and that portion of the backing at the reverse side of the same which is extended to form the portion i8.

' This edge I8 of strip B is pulled up taut so that the folded copper edges fit snugly together and then the edge I8 is nailed with nails if! to the roof above the interlocking joint thus partially made, as indicated in Fig. 5. After fitting together the folded over margin l2 of sheet A and the margin M of sheet B and securing the edge i8, I preferably secure above this joint a suitable batten 28 which is nailed through by means of the nails 29 to the roof upwardly beyond the copper. A preferred construction for the batten 28 is shown in Fig, 13. As there shown it is formed of sheet metal with one edge rolled or curled to provide a more or less resilient portion to bear on the joint and also an enlarged rounded butt edge over which sheet B may be folded in the next step of the application. The other edge is flanged downwardly at 21 to engage the underlying structure above the joint. The nails 29 are driven through the elevated web thus provided which may be sprung inwardly as they are driven home, thus providing a tension against the underlying elements engaged by the batten.

Sheet B is then folded upwardly and toward the ridge from the position of Fig. 6 in the same manner as sheet A was folded, disposing a copper surface around the edge of the batten 28 and mamas over its upper surface and the free edge ll of the backing is nailed at I I to the roof in the same manner as in the case of strip A. The edge i2 is thenfolded back and another strip C applied in the same manner, as is illustrated in Fig. 7, and so on until the roof is covered. a

The method of making a joint between strips where these fall within the ridgewise length of the roof is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 10, inclusive. Viewing Fig. 8, in the right-hand strip the copper is stripped away from the backing to provide a relatively long unattached end portion 30 of I the latter free of the underlying portion 32 of the former. In the adjacent strip C the copper is separated from the backing to provide a relatively short margin 34, the backing being cut away at the base of this margin. The copper margins 34 and 30 are turned up as flanges and butted together with the extension 32 of the backing of the strip C extending to the left and underlying the double thickness of backing material W and copper of the strip C, as shown in Fig. 8. The copper flange 30 may then be folded over the copper flange 34, as shown in Fig. 9, and then both folded over toward the left in Fig.9 to provide the finished joint shown in Fig, 10.

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a suitable method for finishing the ends of the roof. Along the end of the roof there is preferably provided a suitable flashing 36. The strips laid as described are permitted to project a little beyond the end of the roof. In considering a typical strip, as shown at F in Fig. 11, when the edge iii of this is laid in place, the unattached upper marginal portion i2 of the copper Cu is cut, as indicated at 38, a few inches inwardly from the edge of the roof and allowed to lie fiat when the remaining portion of the flange is bent rearwardly, as indicated in the figure, in preparation for the interlocking therewith of a succeeding strip. A portion of the backing corresponding to the margin I6 is preferably cut away flush with the end surface of the roof and the longitudinal edges of the coppercovered backing where it projects from the roof folded under on diagonal lines in much the same manner as the projecting ends of a paper wrapping are folded in making up a. package and as illustrated in Fig. 11 in connection with the strip F. This projecting portion 40 is then tucked in underneath the underlying secured portion i6 of the previous strip E to provide a finished end as illustrated in connection with that strip E. In Fig. 12, representing a section of the strip E, I have indicated the portion 56 belonging to the preceding strip D as identified by that letter in parentheses and the tuckedin folded end 40 is similarly identified by the letter E in parentheses.

In a construction as described it will be clear that the entire exposed surface is of weatherresisting copper. The metallic elements which go to form the copper covering are joined together as a unitary whole by interlocked joints, copper to copper, similar to those formed in a heavy, sheet copper roof. The copper is nowhere perforated by fastening devices, yet the light, foil-like sheets are securely anchored throughout a large area to the backing W and are securely held mechanically by the battens 28 at the longitudinal joints. The backing material W firmly nailed to the roof presents a double thickness over the roof boards of what is itself an effective weather-resistant covering. The material, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is inexpensive and may be rapidly and inexpensively applied.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as-illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A roofing material unit comprising a flexible non-metallic base having a narrower sheet of foil-like metal secured to a face thereof along the central area of the metal sheet, to define foldable edge portions of the metal overlying but free of the base, the base extending beyond the said edge portions.

2. A roofing material in the form of a flexible strip adapted to be rolled up comprising 9. flexible non-metallic base strip and a narrower strip of foil-like metal extending along the central portion of the base and adhesively secured thereto throughout the central zone of the metal strip leaving edge portions of the metal free of the base, the marginal portions of which latter extend beyond the metal.

3. A roof structure comprising strips of flexible non-metallic base material overlapping in the manner of clapboards and having upper margins and reversely folded underlapping lower margins nailed to the roof sub-structure and thin metallic sheets adhesively secured to the base material between the secured margins covering the exposed area thereof and having edges directly interfolded without incorporation of such flexible material in the fold within the overlaps of the base strips.

4. A roof structure comprising strips of flexible, non-metallic base material overlapping in the manner of clapboards and having upper mar-' gins and reversely folded underlapping lower margins nailed to the roof sub-structure and thin metallic sheets adhesively secured to the basematerial between the secured margins covering the exposed area thereof and having edges directly crimped together within the overlaps of the base strips and without incorporation of the flexible material in the crimped-together Joint and battens secured to the roofing sub-structure within the basestrips about an edge of which battens the reverse folds of the strips are made and which have offset portions overlying the crimped together edges.

5. A roof structure comprising thin, imperferate, metallic sheets overlapping in the manner' of clapboards the overlying element having an inturned edge received beneath a downturned edge on the preceding underlying element, the bodies of the sheets between said edges being secured adhesively to flexible non-metallic base material which is extended past said edges in a direction transverse to the ridge and secured to the roof sub-structure by fastenings which are a covered by the metal.

6. A roof structure comprising compound units overlapping in the manner of clapboards and each comprising a flexible non-metallic base structure from the reverse above said folded back portion of a preceding unit and the adjacent edge portion of the metal entering from below beneath thefolded back portion of said preceding unit.

7. A roof structure comprising compound units, each of which includes a sheet of flexible nonmetallic base material and a superposed sheet of thin metal adhering thereto, edges of the base sheet being nailed to the roof substructure and marginal portions of the base sheets of adjacent units overlapping, marginal portions of the metal sheet adjacent the overlapping margins being interfolded independently of underlying portions of the base sheets.

8. In a roof structure comprising a series of elements wherein an inwardly and upwardly folded lower edge of a succeeding element overlies an upper edge portion of a preceding element, a sheet metal batten received beneath the succeeding element and nailed to the roof substructure and having an overhanging lower edge rolled in an open compressible coil which is superposed on the interfolded parts and about which said succeeding element is folded and which is compressed on the overlapping elements closely above the fold.

9. In a roof structure comprising a seriesof elements wherein an inwardly and upwardly folded lower edge of a succeeding element overlies an upper edge portion of a preceding element, a sheet metal batten received beneath the succeeding element and having a central zone elevated above the roof sub-structure and terminating in a lower edge inwardly and downwardly rolled into an open compressible coil which is superposed on the interfolded parts and about which said succeeding element is folded, said batten being nailed to the sub-structure by nails through said zone acting to tension the same inwardly toward the sub-structure and to compress ceeding element, having at its lower edge a down wardly projecting flange bent to provide an elastic compressibility therein, which flange bears on the interfolded parts, said batten being fastened to said structure by means tensioning the flange on said parts. the succeeding element being folded over the batten and its fastening means.

. ERNEST R. DEARBORN. 

